Return of the Anchovies
by sbartist357
Summary: The Krusty Krab gets chosen as the eating establishment for an association's annual convention. That wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact that the organization's members are ANCHOVIES. In order to prevent history from repeating itself, the Krusty Krew must retrieve SpongeBob's hydrodynamic spatula from The Fry Cook Museum, but getting it will be a challenge. . .
1. Anchovies

**Hello again, everyone! I have returned! :D I know, it was a while since I last posted something on FanFiction (sorry about that!). But I have provided everyone with a brand-new story (so it's all good)! Enjoy the first chapter! :)**

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It was another lovely day in Bikini Bottom. Outside The Krusty Krab, SpongeBob was standing next to the restaurant's sign pole with his usual smile. Suddenly, a fish with a messenger bag appeared in the distance.

"HI, MR. MAILMAN!" SpongeBob shouted. The mailman, who had by this time reached the eating establishment, screamed. He ran off, dropping a bundle of letters in the process. Fortunately, they were all addressed to The Krusty Krab. SpongeBob picked up the mail and went inside.

"Hi, Squidward!" SpongeBob said as he passed by his co-worker.

"What do you want? Is it time to annoy me already?" The squid replied.

"No, not yet. I'm just going to Mr. Krabs's office to give him the mail." He responded as he made his way to deliver the mail to his boss.

"Whatever," Squidward sighed and went back to his job. "Welcome to The Krusty Krab. May I take your order?"

SpongeBob knocked on the door and entered.

"Ahoy, lad!" Mr. Krabs greeted SpongeBob as he walked in.

"I brought you the mail!"

"Thank you, SpongeBob!" Mr. Krabs began to flip through it.

"Hmm. . . Let's see. Bills. . . Charity. . . Oh, look at this!" He opened up one of the envelopes. "It's from the Bikini Bottom Heart Association. It says here that my Krabby Patties are too high in cholesterol! Ar-ar-ar-ar-ar! I'll just file this for future reference." He leaned over and threw the letter into the trash can.

"Ooh, here's another one. . . Krust-o-Polish, 'It polishes your shell to a glossy shine'. Me mother could use some of this; she's lost some of her luster lately. Bless her little heart. . ." At that moment, Squidward barged in.

"SpongeBob, why aren't you behind the grill?! We have a bunch of customers waiting!"

"I'm on it!" SpongeBob ran through the side door into the kitchen. A second later, he returned.

"I'm back! Did I miss anything?" He asked. Squidward and Mr. Krabs stared at him, puzzled.

"But, how did you-? Never mind." Squidward said. Their boss continued skimming through the mail.

"Look at this!" Mr. Krabs exclaimed. The crab hastily opened the letter and read it aloud:

 _"Mr. Eugene Krabs:_

 _We are pleased to inform you that your restaurant has been chosen as the eating establishment for our annual convention. We will hold our meeting there this coming Wednesday. On behalf of our members, congratulations on earning this huge honor!_

 _Sincerely,_

 _Mr. M. Meep_

 _President of the Bikini Bottom Association of Pizza Toppings"_ He placed the letter on his desk.

"Ar-ar-ar-ar-ar! What a funny name for both that guy and his organization!" Mr. Krabs kept laughing. Then, the realization sunk in. With a barely audible voice, he uttered a single word.

"Anchovies. . ."

"What?!" Squidward asked, annoyed at his boss's whispering.

"ANCHOVIES!" Mr. Krabs bellowed. He then fell out of his chair and passed out. SpongeBob gasped.

"Mr. Krabs!" He rushed over to an emergency box on the wall and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. SpongeBob took the money and waved it under his boss's nose.

"Oh. . ." Mr. Krabs moaned. "Is that the twenty?" He quickly took the dollar from his employee's hand and put it in his pocket. Once back in his seat, he placed his chin on his claw.

"What am I gonna do? The last time anchovies swarmed into The Krusty Krab, they wrecked everything until-" A light bulb appeared over his head, which he grabbed and stuffed into his desk drawer (which happened to be filled with the light bulbs he stole from The Bikini Bottom Zoo on Free Day).

"SpongeBob, you can use that hydrodynamic spatula with port-and-starboard attachments and the turbo-drive!" The crab exclaimed.

"But-" SpongeBob began.

"We're saved!" Mr. Krabs scuttled around the side of his desk and started dancing.

"But Mr.-" SpongeBob tried again.

"WOO-HOO!" The crab grabbed the twenty from his pocket and kissed it repeatedly.

"MR. KRABS!" His boss looked at him, still kissing his money. "I have some bad news. . ." The sponge said after a pause.

"Well, out with it, boy! What is it!?"

"I donated it to The Fry Cook Museum." After hearing SpongeBob's words, Mr. Krabs freaked out.

"YOU WHAT?! AHHHHHHHHHH!" He ran around the office only to smack into a wall and drop to the floor, out cold.

"Oh, not again. . ." Squidward muttered. SpongeBob retrieved another twenty-dollar bill from a second emergency box (next to the first one) and revived Mr. Krabs again.

"Is that the other twenty?" He yanked it away from SpongeBob and put it in his pocket with the other dollar.

"I've got a suggestion. Why don't you just call them?" Squidward offered unhappily.

"That's it! We can ask to borrow the spatula for a day, and then return it!" Mr. Krabs picked up the telephone and started dialing the number to The Fry Cook Museum.

"Yeah! You're an expert on borrowing, Mr. Krabs! I mean, think about all those things you've borrowed! They can't possibly turn you down with those credentials!" SpongeBob said optimistically.

"Do I get a raise now?" Squidward inquired hopefully.

"No." His stingy employer retorted. The squid sighed. Mr. Krabs finished dialing the number and waited.

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 **Well, how do you like it so far? Let me know by writing a review, or by favoriting and following it! :) I love getting feedback! And, as always, I promise to read every review I get, no matter how old the story is. GUARANTEED! :D**


	2. A Visit to The Fry Cook Museum

**Welcome to Chapter 2! This chapter isn't very long but enjoy it anyway. :) Remember, this chapter starts off where Mr. Krabs is calling The Fry Cook Museum.**

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A proper-sounding fish with an accent answered the phone.

"Hello, this is The Bikini Bottom Fry Cook Museum. May I help you?"

"Yes. I understand you have a hydrodynamic spatula with port-and-starboard attachments and turbo drive on display." Mr. Krabs explained.

"As a matter of fact, we do." The fish replied.

"Well, suppose someone wanted to borrow it for a short amount of time. Is that possible?" There was a slight pause as the fish on the other end thought.

"I'm not sure about that, sir. We do have someone who can answer that for you, but he won't be here until 6 PM. Is that okay?"

"Sure. That'll be just fine! Goodbye!" Mr. Krabs hung up the phone.

"Well, what did they say?" Squidward inquired.

"They said they have someone who can tell us about borrowing, but he doesn't show up until six o'clock. It looks like that spatula is as good as ours! Let's hop in my car and head over there!" The crustacean said excitedly. They closed The Krusty Krab at precisely 6 PM and got into Mr. Krabs's car. Miraculously, the trio arrived at The Fry Cook Museum at 6:01 PM.

"Wow, we made it here pretty fast! And you didn't even break the speed limit!" SpongeBob noted.

"Hey, he's right! How did you do it? The Krusty Krab is miles away from here." Squidward added. Mr. Krabs glanced at them nervously.

"Uhh... Let's go inside!" He kept walking, quickly changing the subject. They followed him inside. A tall, slim fish approached them in the main lobby.

"Hello! Welcome to The Bikini Bottom Fry Cook Museum. How may I help you this evening?"

"Hi. Are you the proprietor of this establishment?" Mr. Krabs asked.

"Yes, I am."

"Good. Can you direct us to the hydrodynamic spatula with port-and-starboard attachments and turbo drive?"

"Of course. Right this way." The fish directed them to a separate room; the only thing in it was the hydrodynamic spatula itself. Mr. Krabs gasped.

"There it is! The spatula!" He ran over to the spatula's pedestal and pressed his face on the glass that covered it. SpongeBob beamed.

"My spatula!" He joined Mr. Krabs at the display and pressed his face on the glass as well.

"Uhh. . . Ahem." The fish cleared his throat, and SpongeBob and Mr. Krabs looked at him, embarrassed.

"Sorry. Umm. . . May I give you a hypothetical situation?" SpongeBob's boss inquired. The proprietor nodded. "Say someone wanted to borrow one of the museum pieces for a day. Is that possible?"

"Sure, depending on whether or not the item in question is scheduled for a special exhibit."

"Oh, that's good. We would like to borrow the hydrodynamic spatula please."

"What day do you need it for?"

"This coming Wednesday."

"Let me check to see if that's available." The fish walked over to a clipboard on the wall and examined the chart on it. He returned a few minutes later.

"I'm sorry, but the hydrodynamic spatula is going to be featured in a very important spatula exhibit this coming Thursday. Wednesday is out of the question, I'm afraid." Desperate, Mr. Krabs grabbed the guy's shirt and got on his knees.

"Mister, I'm begging you! We need that spatula to feed a crowd of anchovies! ANCHOVIES! The smelly smell that smells. . . smelly! Do you know what it's like when anchovies get into a feeding frenzy!?"

"No. But nonetheless, I can't let you borrow the spatula on that day. I'm sorry, but those are the rules." Almost immediately, the disappointed crab regained his composure and stood up.

"Okay. Thank you, anyway. Have a good night!" Mr. Krabs said cheerfully as he left. SpongeBob and Squidward glanced at each other, then exited the museum behind their boss. Outside, SpongeBob commented on Mr. Krabs's behavior.

"Wow, Mr. Krabs! You took that bad news pretty well for someone who sounded so desperate!" Mr. Krabs stopped walking and turned toward them, eyes squinted.

"We're gonna have to steal it." He said in a serious tone.

"But, isn't that against the law? You can count me out!" Squidward retorted.

"I'm with you," SpongeBob replied to his co-worker.

"Let me put it this way: Either you both work with me, or you're FIRED!" Mr. Krabs shouted.

"When do we start?" Squidward asked hastily.

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 **Well, it looks like they're going to have to steal it. How will they do? Read the next chapter to find out! :) Oh, and don't forget to review!**


	3. Spatula Heist

**Hey, FanFiction readers! I'm back! I'm so sorry for keeping you guys waiting so long for this chapter! Anyway, this is quite a lengthy chapter, but I'm sure it won't disappoint! So, go ahead and read on! :)**

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The next morning at The Krusty Krab, Mr. Krabs called for an important meeting in his office. SpongeBob and Squidward sat before their boss as he paced back and forth in front of his desk.

"Boys, desperate times call for desperate measures. We face those dastardly times right now. So, as I said the previous night, we must steal the spatula if we want to survive the anchovies." He walked to the other side of the table and pulled out a large, rolled-up sheet of paper.

"Ooh, are we going on a treasure hunt?!" SpongeBob asked happily.

"No, me boy! These are the blueprints for the theft!" Mr. Krabs spread the plans out and weighed the corners down with heavy bundles of money.

"Okay, now here is a map of The Fry Cook Museum," Mr. Krabs began. There was a long pause as he thought. "So, does anyone have any ideas?"

"What?! You mean you don't have any ideas and yet you want us to go over there and steal the spatula anyway?!" Squidward argued.

"Exactly. Remember, I'm forcing the both of you to go and steal it." His boss retorted.

"But didn't you say you would help us? Your exact words last night were, '. . . Either you both work with me or you're FIRED!'." The squid replied.

"Yes, Mr. Squidward, I did say that. Don't worry, I'll be working, too. I'll be the lookout and, at the first sign of trouble, I'll also be the first one to escape! Isn't that great?" Mr. Krabs chuckled.

"Just lovely," Squidward muttered. SpongeBob started jumping in his seat.

"Ooh! How about we get a giant crane and carefully lift the spatula out? I have a special technique!" The sponge smiled proudly. Squidward snorted.

"Ha! Like you can operate a crane! Don't forget, it was I who won this!" He pulled out a brown, fuzzy teddy bear.

"Oh, right. I also recall that a short while after, you tried to operate a construction crane and wound up destroying a brand-new shopping mall in the process." Mr. Krabs interjected. Squidward fell silent. A minute later, he spoke again.

"Well, how about we get a tunneling machine and dig under the room where the spatula is and get it that way?"

"That's not gonna work, Mr. Squidward! Who's gonna fix the giant hole in the floor after we get the spatula? We want to get in and out quietly. What part of that do you not understand?" The crab asked, slightly agitated. Squidward crossed his arms and slumped in his chair. At that moment, Patrick walked in.

"Hey, SpongeBob! Are we still going to Goofy Goober's tonight?"

"Sorry, Patrick. I can't go tonight; we need to come up with a plan to steal the hydrodynamic spatula from The Fry Cook Museum." SpongeBob apologized. Patrick snapped his finger (or whatever you want to call it).

"Ooh, I know! How about we lift the whole museum, grab the spatula, and lower the place down again?"

"That is the most moronic idea I have ever heard!" Squidward scoffed.

"That might just be ridiculous enough to work! Then it's all settled! We'll pull this off tonight!" Mr. Krabs exclaimed.

 _ **Later That Night**_

SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, and Mr. Krabs drove over to The Fry Cook Museum and parked behind a huge boulder.

"Okay, everyone out of the car. SpongeBob, check to see if the coast is clear." Mr. Krabs instructed.

"Aye-aye, Captain!" SpongeBob pulled out a pair of binoculars from the back seat and scanned the area. "All clear, Mr. K." He reported.

"Good. Everyone, go to your positions!" The crab ordered. SpongeBob leaped from behind the rock and ran over to the side of the museum; Squidward sat back down in the car and began reading the latest edition of _Interpretive Dance Quarterly_.

"Position? I don't have a position. I don't work for you." Patrick whined. Mr. Krabs groaned in frustration.

"I know that, Patrick. But right now, I want you to run to the side of the building and wait for me to give you the signal. Got it?"

"Yeah, but what's the signal?" The starfish questioned dumbly.

"JUST GET OVER THERE, NOW!" Mr. Krabs barked. Patrick's brain finally kicked in and he hurried over to where SpongeBob was waiting.

"Hey, Patrick! Did Mr. Krabs give you any more instructions?" SpongeBob inquired.

"Yeah. He said that we need to wait for his signal." Patrick replied.

"Okay! So, what's the signal going to be?"

"Uhh. . . He didn't tell me." Patrick shrugged. The porous sponge called over to his boss.

"MR. KRABS, WHAT'S THE SIGNAL?" The crab looked over to where his employee was yelling from.

"WHEN I SNAP ME CLAWS TWICE, GO IN AND GRAB THE SPATULA!" He instructed, shouting.

"WHAT?" SpongeBob asked, unable to hear. This time Mr. Krabs tried to shout even louder.

"WHEN I SNA-!"

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" The sponge replied. Mr. Krabs let out a heavy sigh.

"Oh, for Neptune's sake. I'll have to go over there and tell him myself."

"I hope you mean just yourself," Squidward grumbled from behind his magazine. The crustacean slapped the copy of _Interpretive Dance Quarterly_ out of Squidward's tentacles and dragged him over to SpongeBob and Patrick.

"Hi, Mr. Krabs! So, what's the signal again?" SpongeBob asked.

"Forget the signal, lad. I'll just tell you when to go." Patrick raised his hand.

"Does that mean I can start lifting it now?"

"Sure." Mr. Krabs responded. The starfish reached down and attempted to lift the building to no avail. Regardless, he continued struggling, groaning from the exertion. Squidward watched him, irritated.

"Mr. Krabs, do you really think that pink moron is actually going to lift -?" Suddenly, the museum lifted off the ground, and Patrick shifted his stance to hold the building easier. Squidward gasped in disbelief.

"But, how did you-?"

"Never mind, Mr. Squidward! Let's just get that hydrodynamic spatula and go!" Mr. Krabs interrupted. SpongeBob rushed into the dark building and stuffed the object into a bag he was holding.

"Hurry, SpongeBob! I can't hold it much longer!" Patrick cried.

"Coming!" He replied. The sponge sprinted toward the opening and managed to escape just before the museum fell back to its original position.

"Great, me boy! You got it?" The crab asked excitedly.

"Right here!" SpongeBob said, holding up the bag.

"Okay, now let's get out of here!" Mr. Krabs ordered. Everyone hurried over to the car and started off toward The Krusty Krab at top speed.

"So, how about we take a look at that beautiful spatula?" Mr. Krabs suggested, looking in the rearview mirror. SpongeBob reached into the bag and pulled out a small, wavy metal tool with a comfort grip handle. Mr. Krabs's eyes grew gigantic.

"SpongeBob, that's not the spatula!" The fry cook looked at it.

"You're right, Mr. Krabs. This is a potato masher used in the Great Potato Famine of '61. Notice here how the-"

"We don't have time for your blasted stories, lad! We have to turn around and get the hydrodynamic spatula!" SpongeBob's boss turned the wheel and the boat made a sharp turn, causing the wheels to screech. Once they got back to The Fry Cook Museum, the group returned to the same wall that Patrick used to raise the building a few minutes earlier.

"Okay, Patrick. Lift the building again." The crab ordered. This time, the museum went up right away and SpongeBob ran inside. He put the potato masher back and looked around the dimly-lit rooms.

"Hurry up, me boy! Time is money!" Mr. Krabs called.

"Okay!" He grabbed the utensil, placed it in the bag, and exited the building. All four of them scrambled back to Mr. Krabs's boat and zoomed down the road to The Krusty Krab. In the back seat, SpongeBob took a peek inside the bag.

"Well, come on, me boy! Show me the spatula!" The crustacean barked, growing impatient. His employee pulled out another object from the museum but, again, it wasn't the spatula.

"A cheese grater?" Squidward grumbled, glaring at SpongeBob from the front seat.

"Yeah!" SpongeBob said happily. Mr. Krabs turned around abruptly.

"So, you failed to grab the spatula again?" He inquired, completely calm.

"Yep." The sponge replied. The crab smiled momentarily, then flipped out altogether. For the second time in ten minutes, Mr. Krabs took the wheel and made a dangerously quick turn.

"AHHHHH!" SpongeBob, Patrick, and Squidward screamed. The boat squealed back over to the museum. When they finally got to the side of the building, Mr. Krabs squinted at SpongeBob.

"Lad, if you don't grab the spatula this time, I'M GONNA KEEL HAUL YOU!" His employee saluted and entered the museum a third time. SpongeBob tediously examined the silhouettes of the items one-by-one. He heard a cry from outside.

"SpongeBob. . . I. . . can't. . . hold. . . this. . . up. . . much. . . longer. . ." Patrick groaned.

"Hang on! I'm almost done!" As he reached for the spatula, the building came down on him. Mr. Krabs and Patrick gasped.

"Well, at least you don't have to worry about keelhauling him," Squidward said. Patrick started crying profusely.

"PATRICK SAD!" Mr. Krabs gently patted his back in an attempt to console him.

"Poor lad. I shouldn't have been so rough on the little guy. . ." He started to sob as well. "SpongeBob, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to crush you under The Fry Cook Museum! If I could only hold you in me arms again, I'd give you a raise!" As they grieved, a voice came from behind them.

"A raise?! That's very kind of you, Mr. Krabs!" The crab's flow of tears stopped instantly.

"SpongeBob?" He turned around and hugged his still-living employee, lifting him up. "Oh, I'm so happy you're okay!"

"Yeah! Do I get my raise now?" The sponge asked. His boss dropped him on the ground.

"What?"

"A raise. You said, 'If I could only hold you in me arms again, I'd give you a raise!'." Mr. Krabs scratched his chin.

"Hmm. . . I don't recall sayin' anything along those lines, me boy. . . Oh well, as long as you're okay."

"Yeah! You should've been there, Mr. Krabs! The whole building started shaking, and I was trying to find the spatula and replace it with a decoy, and then the building-"

"Uhh. . . Yeah, that's good. What was that you said about a decoy?" The crab questioned.

"Oh, that. Well, I figured that we'd be able to keep the real spatula longer if we put a decoy in its place. So Patrick made a wonderful replica, which I placed on the pedestal."

"By 'wonderful replica' you mean Patrick made a cardboard spatula scribbled with crayon," Squidward said irritably.

"Yes!" SpongeBob replied. Mr. Krabs rubbed his face in annoyance.

"Oh, never mind that! We have to head back to The Krusty Krab quickly! The Pizza Topping Stampede is tomorrow! There's no time to lose!" With that, the four of them jumped into the car and headed off toward the restaurant, leaving behind a cloud of dust.

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 **So, there you have it. Now that they have the one-and-only hydrodynamic spatula, they need to get ready for the anchovy invasion. Please let me know how the story's doing so far (let me know I still have readers). ;) Don't forget to favorite and follow this if you like it! :)**


	4. Feeding Time

**Yay! I finally finished another chapter! Go ahead and read on! :)**

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As the sun rose upon The Krusty Krab, Mr. Krabs and his crew hastily prepared for the onslaught of anchovies. SpongeBob lovingly cleaned his special hydrodynamic spatula in the kitchen while his boss nervously stood next to the register, glancing out at the horizon. Squidward was also looking out the window; he remembered the sheer terror of the first anchovy attack as if it had happened yesterday. Everything was completely quiet. Then, something glistened in the distance. To their dismay, it was a red city bus, with several more behind it.

"The anchovies. . . are coming. . ." The crustacean whispered. He scuttled into the kitchen to check on his employee; SpongeBob was testing the port-and-starboard attachments on the device.

"SpongeBob, is everything all ship-shape?"

"Yes, Mr. Krabs!" He replied confidently.

"Good. Now remember, as soon as they come in, make as many Krabby Patties as possible." SpongeBob saluted the crab and stood at his grill with numerous crates of frozen patties stacked around him.

Mr. Krabs returned to the register. By then, the red buses had reached the restaurant and were parked in a circle around it. The Krusty Krab's atmosphere quickly changed to one of enormous anxiety. Squidward started to panic.

"Mr. Krabs, the anchovies are going to come in any minute!" The squid cried. Mr. Krabs tried to calm both Squidward and himself down.

"Those anchovies aren't gonna get the best of us, Mr. Squidward! We have the hydrodynamic spatula, and with my ludicrous prices, they won't stand a chance!"

"Are you insane?! That dumb spatula won't stop that swarm! I'm running for my life!" He leaped out of the cashier boat and rushed to the door. SpongeBob came out of the kitchen to see what was going on. Squidward turned around to face them.

"So long, suckers!"

"SQUIDWARD, WAIT!" The yellow sponge shouted. The squid ignored him and turned to leave. Suddenly, a brick landed on his head and knocked him out. Mr. Krabs looked at SpongeBob, who was holding a rope in his hand. The rope was attached to a lever on the ceiling that the brick had been sitting on.

"Sorry, Mr. Krabs. I figured something like this would happen, so I prepared this little contraption." The crab was quiet for a minute, then spoke.

"Well, let's get him back to the register." The two of them lifted the unconscious cephalopod and stuffed him into the cashier boat. Just then, the anchovies flooded in. A chorus of "meep" filled the restaurant as hundreds of anchovies shouted their orders. Mr. Krabs began yelling orders to SpongeBob.

"SpongeBob, man the grill! I'll take care of the register!"

"But Mr. Krabs, are you sure you can handle it?" He called back, returning to his grill just in time.

"Handle it? I've had this register since it was just a little calculator! Now, hurry up! Hungry customers are waiting!" The sound of patties sizzling on the grill was hardly noticeable as the members of The Bikini Bottom Association of Pizza Toppings made waves (literally). The boat was lifted off the ground, causing Mr. Krabs to cling to his precious cash register for dear life. The fish tossed the boat around as they grew more impatient. Finally, they dropped it back where it originally was.

Just then, the front door opened. Everyone stopped mid-meep and the whole restaurant fell silent (even the sizzling of the Krabby Patties became inaudible regardless of the fact that they were still cooking on the grill). Some anchovies were paused in mid-air, unable to do anything but blink. A pink starfish with green and purple shorts quietly cut through the crowd. It was Patrick, who apparently picked the worst possible time to visit The Krusty Krab. He didn't even seem to notice the anchovies at all. He just kept walking toward the register with a blank face. Patrick came to a stop in front of the cashier boat. There was a long moment of silence as everyone waited to see what would happen next.

"I'd like to order a Krab-" The anchovies freaked as they suddenly remembered their hunger and lifted Patrick off his feet. He was swept away by the swarm.

"SPONGEBOB! SPONGEBOB!" Patrick's screams slowly faded as he disappeared completely.

Back in the kitchen, the patties were done and SpongeBob was quickly placing them on buns and adding toppings. Using his trusty hydrodynamic spatula, he slapped the burgers one-by-one out of the order window at a blazing fast speed. One fish managed to catch a burger in their mouth, and the rest of them followed suit.

After numerous Krabby Patties (the exact number was 4,352, but who's counting?) soared out of the kitchen window, the anchovies began to leave. The Krusty Krab was pretty battered but not as bad as the last time. Mr. Krabs emerged from his hiding spot in the boat (he ducked under the counter when the anchovies attacked) and surveyed the damage.

"Well, I guess I can use some more of those bandages to fix up the joint." He said aloud to himself. Squidward was still sleeping in the boat. Mr. Krabs sighed and shook him a little.

"Squidward. . ." The crustacean coaxed. The squid didn't wake up. Mr. Krabs scratched his chin for a moment, then had an idea. He cleared his throat and tried to disguise his voice.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to present Bikini Bottom's finest artist, Squidward Tentacles!" Immediately, Squidward got up and, still half-asleep, tried to make a speech to the crowd.

"Thank you, thank you! I'd just like to-" He realized there was nobody around and glared at his boss.

"The anchovies are gone, Mr. Squidward." Mr. Krabs explained. Squidward rubbed his head and winced.

"Ouch! What happened? The last thing I remember was heading for the exit." At that moment, SpongeBob stepped out of the kitchen and smiled nervously.

"Hi, Squidward. How are you feeling?" Squidward squinted at the sponge.

"I was just trying to help." SpongeBob quickly explained. Patrick, who had been trampled by the anchovies, crawled up to the register.

"I'd. . . like. . . to order. . . one. . . Krabby Patty. . . please." He croaked.

"Sorry, Patrick. We're all out of Krabby Patties." SpongeBob replied. Hearing this, Patrick got on his knees, raised his fists, and shouted toward the ceiling.

"NOOOOO!"

"Alright, alright. Calm down." Mr. Krabs said. When Patrick finally regained his composure, the crab continued. "We're not done yet, boys. All we have to do now is put the spatula back before the special exhibit opens tomorrow." Everyone stared at him, confused.

"That means we have to go tonight and return it." After another pause, Mr. Krabs sighed.

"Which means until then, I want this place cleaned up. NOW!" Everybody rushed to their stations (with the exception of Patrick, who decided to take a nap on the floor). Mr. Krabs scuttled to his office with a giant wheelbarrow filled with money (which had apparently been there the whole time).

"Now to count me profits."

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 **So, how did you like this chapter? Please let me know! :) Also favorite and follow this story if you like it!**


	5. Returning the Spatula

**Hi, everybody! This is the final chapter of the story! Thank you for all of your patience! I'm sorry this chapter is really short, but it's just to quickly wrap things up. :)**

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That night after closing, Mr. Krabs, Squidward, SpongeBob, and Patrick drove back to The Fry Cook Museum to return SpongeBob's hydrodynamic spatula.

"Okay, lads. We're going to do basically the same thing as before. Patrick, you'll lift the building, SpongeBob will put the spatula back, and Squidward will stand watch." Mr. Krabs explained as they walked over to the side of the museum.

"Well, the sooner we get this over with, the better." Squidward grumbled.

"That's the spirit, Mr. Squidward!" The crab replied. He gave Patrick the order to lift the side of the building and SpongeBob went in. He successfully switched the decoy with the real spatula and came back out. Patrick lowered the museum down and all of them returned to the car.

"We did it!" SpongeBob said happily in the back seat. He and Patrick cheered. Mr. Krabs looked at them in the rearview mirror.

"What's with all this 'we' business?"

"But Mr. Krabs, all of us worked together to get the spatula." The sponge replied.

"What?! If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have even thought of a plan in the first place!" Squidward interjected. Everyone started arguing about which of them should get credit for the spatula heist as Mr. Krabs grew more and more annoyed.

"BE QUIET!" The crustacean boomed. Squidward, SpongeBob, and Patrick did as they were told.

"Let's just put this whole adventure behind us." He finished. The boat continued toward The Krusty Krab and disappeared into the night.

 _ **The Next Day**_

The Fry Cook Museum opened its doors at the same time it did every other day. However, it wasn't just a normal day; today was the opening of their latest exhibit, featuring the one-and-only hydrodynamic spatula (with port-and-starboard attachments and turbo drive). The proprietor of the museum (who had denied Mr. Krabs from borrowing the spatula before) stood in front of a red curtain. When visitors finally arrived, the fish cleared his throat.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to present The Fry Cook Museum's latest exhibit. . . 'One-of-a-Kind Utensils'!" The curtain opened to reveal SpongeBob's famous spatula. As the visitors began to take pictures, no one noticed the tiny bit of grease dripping off the edge of it.

 _ **The End**_

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 **I hope you had fun reading this story! Please leave a review or favorite this story if you did! I don't care how old this story gets; I read ALL the reviews I receive! :) Be sure to check out my profile for more fun stories! Bye for now!**


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